Outsole



F. H. CLAPP.

OUTSOLE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7, 1916.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

Hi5 HTTub-n 5 FRANKLIN H. CLAIBP, or mniznosn, MASSACHUSETTS.

OUTSOLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

Application filed October 7, 1916. Serial No. 124,304.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, FRANKLIN H. CLAPP, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Melrose, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Outsoles, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to outsoles of boots and shoes, which include uppers of non-vulcanizable material, such as leather or fabric.

It is now common practice to'provide outsoles, of leather, leather board and other material, which are impression molded, that is, primarily cut from hides or sheets to the desired shape, skived along opposite margins to provide a light edge at the shank or elsewhere as desired, and then shaped by molding and drying into a rigid or apparently rigid state. It is also old in the art to provide cured molded soles of vulcanized material which are molded in a form level on the side of the sole which lies against the shoe, and stretched or forced to conform to the shape of the bottom of the shoe in the manufacture thereof.

7 In conn ction with the first class of soles referred to, which are impression molded to the shape of the bottom of the last, after the same have been sewed to the welt or innersole, they tend to roll the Welt down or to pull the upper in their tendency to return to their original position, thereby affecting the appearance and staying qualities of the shoe when completed. With respect to those soles which are molded perfectly level and forced up into the arch of the shoe and held in place by cement and stitching, the resistance of the vulcanized product creates ,a tendency for the product to go back to its vulcanized state causing the Welt to roll down and the shank to flatten. That is, in the laying of a sole of this character, in the construction of a shoe preparatory to sewing, it becomes necessary to strain the sole unevenly by flexing it into position and greatcare and skill isrequired with a liberal amount of cement to hold it down or to help make sewing possible. In many cases the natural tendency is to lift away from the contour of the innersole thus making it hazardous for the operator to sew itby machinery. Experience proves that many soles are out off in sewing the shank line, either with the needle or thread or both, and

' Waste and extra labor cost is caused by the manipulation of a flat vulcanized sole.

Furthermore, in connection with any material such as a sole which is flexed, the fibers at the concavity are compressed or shortened, while those inwardly atthe convex faces are stretched or lengthened, having a tendency to open up the surface of the material. Where a sole is primarily flexed to conform to the contour of the bottom of a last, there is this compressing and length- I the convex faces, having'a tendency to rupture the sole transversely, and actually resulting in the cracking of the sole when the strain exceeds the tensile strength of the fibers. This is especially true where the soles form a part of a high arch boot or shoe.

Therefore, the principal object of my invention is to provide outsoles, made of rubber or rubber and fiber, primarily curved or vulcanized in its mold, with an arch and heel seat of each above the fore part,and following the contour of the last bottom so nearly perfectly that it can be adjusted to the shoe without any noticeable strain, and molded to rest solidly the full length of the bottom, thus facilitating the placing and sewing of the sole in operative relation to the upper; eliminating the dangerous strain; assisting in the support of the shoe arch; rendering the shoe capable of maximum fiexure without danger of rupturing the fibers; and, adding longevity to the boot or shoe.

Another object of my invention is to providesoles of rubber or rubber and fiber, primarily molded and vulcanized with the heel seat in a plane and at an angle to the fore part and converging theretoward at the front of the sole with an flldl therebctwecn, particularly Well adapted for use in the manufacture of high arch boots or shoes.

A further object of my invention is to produce vulcanized rubber or rubber and fiber soles in pairs shaped and joined together while in the mold and with the soles .of the resulting products joined until ready to be used in the manufacture of shoes, when the connection is severed, thus enabling the manufacturer to embodyin eaclrpair of shoes, soles which are of'the same composition, age, and accurate in size and shape,

Further ob ects of my invention Wlll apdrawing 1 sole.

pear in the following detailed description,

taken inconn'ection with the accompanying forming a part of this specification, and in which drawing: a

Figure 1 is a side elevation of ashoe in the course of manufacture, and showing an upper and outsole in operative relation thereto. a

Fig. 2 is a. plan view of the sole.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a pair of outsoles including a connection therebetween.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the arch of the sole shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the faults of vulcanized rubber orrubber and fiber soles, as now manufactured, especially when applied to high arch boots-or shoes.

In the drawing, where similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, A designates a shoe including an up per B of non-vulcanizablematerial such as leather or fabric, and an outsole C of vulcanized'rubber' or rubber and fiber; and D a connection betwen pairs of outsoles C.

' In the manufacture of the soles, a mold is provided, the cavity of which receives the mass of compounded rubber or rubber and fiber, and is adapted to shape the mass so that the finished product includes a fore part 6, heel seat 7, and an arch 8 therebetween, with the heel seat and arch elevated with respect to the top face of the fore part 6. That is, with the idea of adapting the sole for embodiment in a shoe built about a predetermined last, the mass is first molded to practically perfectly follow the contour of the bottom of the last so that whenthe .mass is vulcanized, the sole may be adjusted to the shoe without any noticeable strain, being molded to rest solidly against the bot-- tom of the last throughout the full length of the latter.

The compounded rubber or rubber and i arch 8 therebetween. In referring to the fiber of the mass, I do not have reference specifically to the strands 10 or the thread or filament which is embodiecLwith the compounded rubber, but to the inherent grain of the material or stuff making up the lVhere a rubber or rubber and fiber sole is vulcanized flat, and flexed to provide this character is flexed to be disposed in 'opera-tive relation to ahigh arch shoe, the fiber is very apt to; become ruptured at that point where the arch springs from the fore part, especially when the sole is afterward subjected to further flexure in the use of the shoe by the wearer. It is to be observed that, with a sole constructed according to my invention, the fiber of the mass is not distorted, but is disposed in the'mold in such a manner that, when vulcanized, it inherently maintains the sole shaped to thelast.

In connection with solesmade of vulcanized rubber or rubber and fiber, it is highly desirable that soles of any pair of shoes be made of the same 'composition cured or vulcanized for an equal period of time, and uniformly aged. It is therefore another object of my invention to provide soles of the character described, in pairs, molded with a connection such as that shown at D in Fig. 3,..or a plurality of outsoles,

molded and vulcanized to shape with a connection D therebetween. Among the advantages resulting from the manufacture of soles in this manner areE-the handling of soles for a right and left shoe, that are true mates, by being ina connected state; bein vulcanized attached, as illustrated by way 0 example in Fig. 3 of the drawing, it can be ascertained at a glance that they were both manufactured under equal conditions, and therefore must be equal in age; and in the resisting qualities ofthe soles to'wear, which will be uniform under normal conditions.

In molding the outsoles in pairs, the uniform aging and texture of the soles of each pair of shoes is insured,-and in molding the outsoles in integral rows or pluralities, such as a row of right and a row of left, the aging and texture of each .lot or row is insured,

and the same may thus be easily segregated from other lots of different moldings.

The soles are particularly well adapted for use in forming a part of high arch boots orv shoes because ofthe arch 8 springing abruptly from the fore part 6, and where the sole is to be-applied to an upper of a high arch'boot or shoe, it is preferred to dispose the heel seat 7 in a plane at an angle to the plane of the fore part6, said first mentioned plane converging toward the second men tioned plane atthe frontof the sole.

The composition of which the outsole of this invention is made, is composed of rubber containing fiber or' any othermaterial containing sufiicient fiber for the purpose and capable of being permanently set or vulcanized after molding to prevent 'inincense herent distortion of the sole out of molded shape when subjected to pressure, moisture or other deforming conditions.

While I have herein described the preferred form of my invention as composed of a stifi fibrous compound which may resemble the texture of leather, with the rubher acting as a binder, it' is to be distinctly understood that I do not limit myself to the embodiment of such a compound in the sole except in so far as the claims import.

I claim :i

1. An outsole comprising a fore part,an

2. An outsole comprising a fore part, an arch and a heel seat, formed of a single vulcanized mass containing fibrous material, the said heel seat being elevated with respect to the top of said fore part and with said arch therebetween, and there being sufficient fiber in the mass to inherently maintain the arch and the heel seat in suchiposition.

3. An outsole including a fore part, an arch and a heel seat, formed of a single vulcanized mass containing fibrous material, said heel seat being elevated and disposed in a plane at an angle to the plane of said fore part with said first plane converging-with said second plane toward the front of the sole, and there being suflicient fiber in the mass to inherently maintain the arch and the heel seat in such osition.

F ANKLIN H. CLAPP. 

